Pro-Palestinian protest features Netanyahu puppet
California demonstrators square off against group celebrating 67 years of Israel's existence; protest partly fueled by new Netanyahu government.
Several dozen pro-Palestinian demonstrators clashed with those supporting Israel at the front gates of a baseball stadium in West Sacramento, CA on Sunday where a celebration of 67 years of the Israeli state was being held.
Chanting "Israel has nothing to celebrate until Israel's government stops violating human rights and international law," the demonstrators featured a near life size puppet-sign of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The photo of the prime minister had a caption under it stating: "Bibi sees the light. Let refugees return home," in effect, said demonstrators, "calling for an end to Israel’s apartheid, ethnic cleansing and human rights violations against the Palestinian."
One protester from the pro-Palestinian demonstration told a member of the opposing celebration of Israel that, "You are Hitler," as a small group of local authorities stood between the two.
“As a Jewish American, I feel it is critical to speak out about Israel’s abuses,” explained Pete Horn, one of those demonstrating Sunday, adding: “I don’t see how anyone of conscience can celebrate when Israel has just installed an incredibly racist government including a deputy defense minister in charge of West Bank Civil Administration who says that Palestinians are subhuman. And this man nominally controls much of the day-to-day life of Palestinians under occupation."
Activists said they were calling attention to Israel’s aggressive and violent campaign against Palestinians who live in the West Bank and Gaza and those who are citizens of Israel. The protester's accusations included kidnapping and torturing children, demolishing Bedouin homes, the jailing of non-violent activists, and war crimes.
“This event, created by the Israel-lobby affiliate, the Jewish Federation, falsely conflates Israel with Judaism and Jewish values, which is further falsely used to claim that criticism of Israel is anti-Jewish,” noted activist Paul Leunberger. “U.S. tax dollars fund Israel’s well-documented atrocious abuses and we have every right to criticize, challenge and work to try to stop what Israel is doing to the indigenous Palestinian people.”
